Vietnam has approved a new external cultural strategy that seeks to strengthen the country's soft power, expand its global cultural presence and position Vietnam as one of the region's leading cultural and creative hubs by 2045.

From the bamboo and reeds of the Trường Sơn forests, the Bru Vân Kiều fashion flutes for different purposes — the Sáo Khui for daily life alongside the Sa Nớt epic, and the Sáo Pi and Sáo Sui for sacred rituals.

On 18 July, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the issuing of Government Decree No. 277/2026/ND-CP on digital cultural infrastructure. This marks a strategic turning point, laying the initial foundation for the development of digital cultural infrastructure and officially introducing many important elements for the development and state management of culture.

The accolades underscore the skill and creativity of Vietnamese circus artists while helping raise the international profile of the country's circus arts.

Dr Nguyễn Thu Hạnh, director of the Centre for Research and Development of Việt Nam Cultural Industry, said Việt Nam has traditionally focused on preserving heritage rather than creating new value from it. The key obstacle, she noted, is the weak connection between heritage and science, technology, education, design, communications and the marketplace, limiting its economic, educational and social impact despite the country's abundant cultural resources.